An Atlantic Division rival rumored to be interested in Mark Giordano
Last week, a rumour had surfaced stating that Seattle Kraken captain Mark Giordano was interested in returning to Canada during free agency and that the Leafs and Flames were both on his radar. But what will happen with the Toronto native at the trade deadline?
Well, apparently one of the Leafs' Atlantic Division rivals is interested in trading for the veteran defenseman. That team, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, is the Florida Panthers.
Should the Kraken wish to sell off their captain at the deadline, there will be no shortage of teams interested in enlisting his services. Of course, his $6.75M cap hit complicates matters for a lot of teams, so if the Kraken are indeed interested in moving him, they may have to eat some salary, or involve a third team in order to have them retain some salary in exchange for a draft pick.
The Panthers already have a formidable defense corps that boasts the likes of Aaron Ekblad, MacKenzie Wegar, Brandon Montour and Radko Gudas. The addition of a player like Giordano, with the experience he brings, could be a power move that could propel the Cats on a lengthy playoff run. That could spell trouble for the Leafs - especially if they end up drawing the Panthers in round 1.
